Native American’s existed in the New World long before the Europeans “discovered” it. But a few decades after they arrived, they began to remove Native Americans from their rightful homeland. In the year of 1830, Andrew Jackson embarked on a policy of Native American removal. Due to Andrew Jackson’s Native American policy, the Indian Removal Act was put into action, causing much hardship for the Natives.
This act would have lasting consequences influencing future policy and resulting in the Trail of Tears.Andrew Jackson sincerely believed that in order to have a perfect nation, it was needed to remove the Indians to the west side of the Mississippi River. He went to Congress and with his first annual message addressing his case of the Removal Act on December 8, 1829; he announced that “The consequences of a speedy removal will be important to the United States, to individual States, and to the Indians themselves.The pecuniary advantages which it Promises to the Government are the least of its recommendations. It puts an end to all possible danger of collision between the authorities of the General and State Governments on account of the Indians”(Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies).
As you can see, Jackson thought that if the Natives were removed from the east side of the Mississippi River, it would prevention issues between the Federal and State Governments; also providing economic advantages.Not only did the President feel that it would help fiscally and prevent problems between the Governments, he also felt that it would help civilization and population. Jackson thought it would leave more room for the whites and hopefully causing the Indians “to cast off their savage habits and become an interesting, civilized, and Christian community” (Shmoop Editorial Team; Indian Policies). This meant that by using this policy, it would cause the Indians to stop being ‘savages’ and make them into a more civilized community. After his second annual message addressing this case on December 6, 1830, the President, Andrew Jackson, signed The Indian Removal Act into law on May 28, 1830.“Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, authorizing the president to pursue ownership of all Indian lands east of the Mississippi River.
Under the act, the Indians will be compensated with new lands drawn from the public domain west of the Mississippi River” (Shmoop Editorial Team; Native American History Timeline). Jackson thought that this act would help expand and better the nation. Jackson's administration oversaw the removal of more than 45,000 Indians living in the southeastern United State” (Shmoop Editorial Team). While moving the Natives to improve his nation, through the Indian Removal Act, it also caused much grief for the Indians and it resulted into the Trail of Tears. After passing the Removal Act to move the Indians from the East to the West side of the Mississippi, Congress passed another act (the Trade and Intercourse Act of 1834), that created the Indian Territory a few years later.
This began the Trail of Tears which was; “the first party of Cherokees that had resisted removal begins the march westward to their new lands in present-day Oklahoma along the later-named Trail of Tears” (Shmoop Editorial Team; Native American History Timeline). This was one result of the Indian Removal Act. Many Natives died during this march to new land, and many Indians were forced from their homes and villages.Thousands died from exhaustion, lack of food, and illness caused by the bitter winter weather that set in after the march began. Of Approximately 16,000 Cherokees who began the journey, perhaps as many as one-fourth died along the way” (Trail of Tears, American History).
The Indian Removal Act might have caused better results for the Europeans, but it resulted into devastating events for the Native Americans. As a result of Andrew Jackson’s Indian policy, the Indian Removal Act was carried out, causing much suffering for the Natives.Jackson felt that the Indians were savages and strengthening the problems between the Governments. Also, he felt that if he had this Act passed, the Nation would improve and expand. This Act consisted of removing the Indians from the east to the west side of the Mississippi River.
The Act was passed and the Indians were forced out of their homeland. This resulted in the Trail of Tears and thousands of Natives died.
